Insomnia
by theworldcouldbeburning
Summary: Tessa is having trouble sleeping. Who will help her once again find peace. One-shot


**Okay so based on a ton of positive reviews on my last story "The Belle of the Ball" I've thrown together a quick one-shot of some TessaxWill fluff. Not my best, but I hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Cassie Clare owns the characters and original plot**

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><p>Everyone in the institute had begun to take notice of Tessa's insomnia. Tessa could feel their eyes on her at breakfast and the worried glances they threw at her as she passed. She herself had begun to see the effects in her baggy eyes and slim form. She knew that everybody had noticed, but it was as though they had made an agreement not to bring it up, which was fine with Tessa. She wasn't in the mood to deal with people mollycoddling her.<p>

Dinners would pass in silence; Charlotte had given up any attempt to make conversation long ago. Jessamine had met some man who had whisked her off on a vacation to Paris. No one seemed to miss her terribly. Sophie's mood seemed a little brighter at least, not having to deal with Jessamine's constant nagging; though 'brighter' didn't really mean much considering the whole institute was still mourning the loss of Thomas and Agatha. It had only been five days.

Tessa hadn't slept, spare a few naps here and there, since the incident, and spent most of her time in the library, since no one seemed to bother her there. She was reading more than ever, finding an escape behind each cover. Escape was what she needed. Everyone was so somber, and Tessa herself was mourning the loss of her brother while nursing her broken heart.

She knew she was being silly. Will's sudden change of heart should have been nothing compared to the pain of losing her brother, but deep down, she had accepted her brother's change long before he betrayed her. The pain of losing Will, on the other hand, had not been something she had been so ready for. She should have known, she was stupid to think otherwise, but she thought that maybe Will had actually felt for her beyond mere feelings of lust.

It didn't matter, Will had made his intents clear and Tessa refused to show any kind of reaction to it; she'd already shown too much on the roof. Jem had been trying to help her with her deal with all of this, but Tessa found it rather annoying that he was making advances while she was so upset and so he had left her alone. Sophie had become her only confidant, listening as Tessa poured out her secrets to the young girl.

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><p>It was midnight and raining as Tessa reread <em>A Tale of Two Cities<em>, one of her favorites. A combination of darkness, the sound of the rain on glass, Tessa's engrossment in the book, and her lack of sleep that kept her unaware of a figure watching her from the entrance to the library. As the shadowy figure made its way towards the oblivious Tessa, she turned her head finally alerted by the sound of footsteps so close. Grey eyes locked with midnight blue ones and Tessa blushed, breaking away first.

She looked back down at her book, but Will wouldn't have it. He snatched the book from her hands, knowing she would be offended, but what he had to say was important. Tessa grabbed for the book, but Will was too quick. She stood up in indignation; realizing to late that under her blanket she only wore a thin nightgown. A blush crept up her cheeks, but it did not stop her from rounding the side of the chair ready to give him a piece of her mind. She found she was just too tired.

"Will, it is too late for your shenanigans. Shouldn't you be in bed?" Her voice came out weak and breathy and she had to stifle a yawn. He cocked an eyebrow.

"Shouldn't you?" He grinned. "Besides, it's never too late for my shenanigans, but that's beside the point. Tess, you and I need to talk." He grew serious as he said the last sentence.

"A talk? That doesn't sound good. Whatever you have to say Will, you can save it, and I believe you have hurt me enough with your 'talks'." Something like hurt flickered across Will's features, but Tessa couldn't be quite sure.

"Tess, this is serious. I'm worried about you. You obviously haven't been sleeping and everyone can tell." He looked at her with his ever blue eyes and she looked down.

"Will, I'm fine." She could feel his skepticism. "Seriously! I've been sleeping!" When she looked back up, she knew that he knew she was lying.

"Tessa, you're a terrible liar. You're not sleeping and we both know it." She opened her mouth to protest again, but he cut her off. "There really isn't any point in trying to deny it, besides, Sophie already told me." Tessa grew cold. She felt betrayed yet again. Was there no one she could trust? Will must have read all her emotions because he said, "Tessa, you can't blame her. She's worried about you…as am I." This confession, though it should have made Tessa feel better, made her inexplicably angry.

"What gives you the right to be worried about me?" She practically screamed it at him, all traces of sleep carried away by adrenaline. She pushed him hard, and he stumbled a bit, surprised. "You can't just go around kissing girls, to telling them that they mean nothing to you the next day, to telling them you are worried." She continued to walk him back until she had him backed up against a wall. "You just can't do that Will. And one more thing-" He cut her off by putting his hand over her mouth and turning so he had her pinned against the wall.

"My goodness Tessa, sometimes you need to just shut up." He removed his hand from her mouth, but quickly replaced it with his own mouth, momentarily surprising Tessa. She realized with a start that this was what she really wanted. She reached up and grabbed his shirt meaning to pull him down to her, but he grabbed her wrists and broke away with a chuckle.

"Now that we've established that I'm worried, will you please tell me what's wrong and why you can't sleep?" His tone was serious, but she could see a slight amusement in his eyes. She sighed realizing he was going to win this.

"I'm scared." She confessed this with her head hung. "Will, I'm scared and alone and I don't know who I can turn to." She felt him pull her towards him and wrap his arms around her in a warm embrace. She buried her face in his chest and inhaled him. He put his lips to her hair.

"Tess, I'm so sorry, I should have realized, I should have been there for you." She felt his breath tickle her head. He pulled away and took one of her hands, "Come on Tess, let's go to your room and try to help you sleep." She let him lead her down corridor after corridor until they stopped in front of her door. He pushed it open and led her in. "Lie down and I'll tell you a bedtime story." He grinned mischievously, but Tessa did as she was told. When she was settled he began his story.

"Once upon a time there was a brave, cunning, and extremely handsome Shadowhunter named William Herondale." He smirked as she snorted. It was a very unlady-like sound, but she could feel herself drifting off and the rules of etiquette didn't apply. "He was the best Shadowhunter the Clave had ever laid eyes on. They awarded him medal after medal until he refused to take them saying his shelves were too full…"

His voice faded out as Tessa's lids grew heavy. She felt the weight on the bed shift and realized Will was getting up to leave. A sudden panic overtook Tessa and she reached out and grabbed him.

"Will! Please don't go! I don't want to be alone." She knew she sounded whiney, even with her voice full of sleep. She heard him chuckle.

"What would Jem, or Charlotte, or Sophie think if they found you and I sharing a bed?" He said, amusement coloring his words.

"I don't care." Tessa managed to breathe out before she heard his weight settle back into the bed as he lay down next to her. She turned and snuggled into him as he wrapped his arms around her. A sense of peace overtook her that she hadn't felt in weeks, and finally she drifted off to sleep in the arms of the boy she loved.

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><p><strong>So yeah, just some quick fluff for all you TessaxWill fans. I'm working on something else with lots of TessaxWill fluffiness, but only time will tell. Remember to review since I run on your comments!<strong>


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